Matt Cooksey

ARTS ADMINISTRATOR - DIRECTOR

BARITONE - WRITER/ARRANGER

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Matt Cooksey is a stage director and artistic administrator based in South Florida. He recently had his Florida Grand Opera house debut with Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. Critics lauded this production, calling it “endlessly eye catching and inventive” and that it “maintains the freshness from start to end.” South Florida Classical Review ranked The Barber of Seville at #2 of the best classical music performances of 2023. Cooksey previously worked as a director at Indianapolis Opera, Aspen Opera Theater, Indiana University New Music Ensemble, and Florida State University.

In addition to stage directing, Cooksey is the Director of Artistic Operations at FGO, where he is responsible for leading the planning and execution for main stage productions and secondary concerts at FGO. He oversees the Studio Artist program and regularly interfaces with union representatives at AGMA along with the company's orchestral contractor. He previously worked at the Indianapolis Opera as their Resident Assistant Director and Florida State University as an outreach coordinator.

One of his largest bodies of work as an operatic artist is Cooksey’s productions for young audiences. He has directed six touring presentations for elementary and middle school audiences, including two original pieces – The Three Sillies and The Tales of Cats and Mice – and his adaptation of Berlioz’s Beatrice and Benedict.

The author requests that this biography not be copied or distributed directly from this page. Any interested party should reach out for a personalized copy.

For more information about Matt’s past endeavors as a singer, please click here.

Photo Credits: Denis Ryan Kelly Jr., Roger David Manning, Benjamin Werley

Operatic schedule

2023-24 Season

  • May 2, 4, 2024: La bohème (stage director); Florida Grand Opera (Broward Center for the Performing Arts - Fort Lauderdale)

  • April 6, 7, 9, 2024: La bohème (stage director); Florida Grand Opera (Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts - Miami)

2022-23 Season

  • May 18, 20, 2023: Il barbiere di Siviglia (stage director); Florida Grand Opera (BCPA - Fort Lauderdale); house debut

  • April 29, 30, May 2, 2023: Il barbiere di Siviglia (stage director); Florida Grand Opera (AACPA); house/company debut

  • Spring 2023: Stone Soup (director, designer); Florida Grand Opera and University of Miami; outreach tour

  • Winter 2023: Promoted to Director of Artistic Operations at Florida Grand Opera

  • July 22, 2022: Falstaff (assistant director): Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS

    • Assistant to Paula Suozzi

  • Summer 2022: Promoted to Studio Artist Program Manager at Florida Grand Opera

2021-22 Season

  • March 18-20, 2022: Brundibár by Hans Krása//Vedem by Lori Laitman; Indianapolis Opera; professional main stage debut as director

  • February 17-18, 2022: SongFest - Verismo = Real Life (emcee/stage director); Florida Grand Opera

  • November 11-12, 2022: SongFest - Beautiful Bel Canto (emcee/stage director); Florida Grand Opera

  • Fall 2022: Hired as Artist Services Manager at Florida Grand Opera

2019-20 Season

  • March 20-22, 2020: Don Giovanni by Mozart (assistant director/production coordinator); Indianapolis Opera

    • Assistant to Scott Skiba

    • Cancelled due to COVID-19

  • February 23, 2020: Sundays at the Basile: Women in Music and ‘Degenerates’ (emcee/stage director); Indianapolis Opera

  • Spring 2020: The Tails of Cats and Mice by Matt Cooksey; Indianapolis Opera; outreach tour

  • November 15-17, 2019: L’elisir d’amore by Donizetti (assistant director/production coordinator); Indianapolis Opera

    • Assistant to A. Scott Parry

  • September 29, 2019: Sundays at the Basile: Spanish Songs and German Roses (emcee/stage director); Indianapolis Opera

  • Fall 2019: The Three Sillies by Matt Cooksey; Indianapolis Opera; outreach tour

  • September 9, 2019: Opera in the Park (event coordinator/stage director); Indianapolis Opera

2018-19 Season

  • August 9,11, 2019: La Calisto by Cavalli (assistant director); Opera NEO

    • Assistant to David Toro

  • August 8, 10, 2019: Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky (production assistant); Opera NEO

    • Peter Kozma, director

  • August 2-4, 2019: La Cenerentola by Rossini (production assistant); Opera NEO

    • Ophelie Wolf, director

  • July 26, 27, 2019: Cabaret (stage director); Opera NEO

  • April 7, 2019: Sundays at the Basile: Scenes of Summer & Seduction (emcee/stage director); Indianapolis Opera

  • March 22-24, 2019: Camelot by Lerner & Loewe (assistant director/production coordinator); Indianapolis Opera

    • Assistant to A. Scott Parry

  • March 3, 2019: Sundays at the Basile: Songs of Love and Celebration (emcee/stage director); Indianapolis Opera

  • Spring 2019: The Three Little Hoosier Pigs by Briana Sosenheimer; Indianapolis Opera; outreach tour

  • November/December 2018: Star Cross’d Lovers by Don Freund; Indianapolis Opera; page-to-stage production

  • October 14, 2018: Sundays at the Basile (emcee/stage director); Indianapolis Opera

  • Fall 2018: The Not-So Ugly Duckling by Briana Sosenheimer; Indianapolis Opera; outreach tour

  • September 14-16, 2018: La bohème by Puccini (assistant director/production coordinator); Indianapolis Opera

    • Assistant to Benjamin Wayne Smith